Reds, Citizens Raise The Curtain For English Football Festival

SuperSport viewers on DStv can look forward to the English season’s traditional season-opening fixture, the FA Community Shield, which sees FA Cup champions Liverpool face Premier League champions Manchester City at the King Power Stadium in Leicester on the evening of Saturday 30 July.

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This clash is being held in Leicester due to the ongoing UEFA Women’s European Championships (for which Wembley Stadium is a key venue) and sees the Reds and the Citizens renew their rivalry. The clubs have dominated English football in recent years and will be expected to do so again in the 2022-23 season.

Liverpool has lost Senegalese marksman Sadio Mane to Bayern Munich, but have boosted their squad with the additions of Fabio Carvalho and Darwin Nunez, while the big arrival on Man City’s side is of course striker Erling Haaland, but they have also cannily snapped up Calvin Phillips from Leeds United.

“It’s important we all recognize we are getting a work in progress with Darwin,” said Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp. “He recognizes that himself, for sure. I love how much focus and humility he has. We have wonderful attacking options already and he becomes part of that now. So there is no pressure on him at all.”

Man City’s Phillips said, “City has again proved to be the best team in the country with an amazing squad and a manager in Pep Guardiola who is rightly considered to be the finest in the world. To be able to play under Pep and learn from him and his coaching staff as well as be part of such a fantastic squad is a prospect that I am incredibly excited about.”

Key players

Mohamed Salah – The Egyptian recently signed a new contract extension at Liverpool and has committed himself to take the Reds back to the top of the English game. This match presents him and the team with the chance to lay down a marker for the upcoming season.

Kevin De Bruyne – The Belgian playmaker enjoyed another brilliant campaign last term and will be looking to lead Man City to yet more glory in the new season. This clash against Liverpool is one in which De Bruyne will look to use his unrivaled range of passing and shooting to full effect.

Head-to-head stats

In head-to-head stats, Liverpool and Man City have met in 220 matches across all competitions since their first clash back in 1893. The Reds have claimed 106 wins compared to 58 for the Citizens, while 56 games have been drawn.

The teams met three times last season: both Premier League matches ended in 2-2 draws, while Liverpool claimed a 3-2 win in the FA Cup semifinal played at Wembley Stadium in mid-April, with goals from Ibrahima Konate and Sadio Mane (two).

Battles to watch

Jurgen Klopp v Pep Guardiola – These two managers have enormous respect for each other, but the rivalry burns bright. Klopp will hope his team’s intensity dominates, while Guardiola’s nous and perceptive approach could give City a tactical edge.

Virgil van Dijk v Erling Haaland – A heavyweight clash of arguably the best defender in the world against the most exciting striker to arrive in the Premier League for many a year. VVD will hope to assert his authority from early on, but Haaland won’t give an inch as he looks to impress on his debut.

Andy Robertson v Riyad Mahrez – A key battle out on the flank will see Mahrez looking to cut inside from the right to use his left foot, but Robertson is a determined competitor who will offer his own hard-running threat when Liverpool has possession.

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FA Community Shield broadcast details, 30 July 2022

All times CAT

Saturday 30 July

18:00: Liverpool v Manchester City – LIVE on SuperSport Premier League